Golf ball having dual core and thin polyurethane cover formed by RIM

• US 7,140,981 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2005
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Sullivan, Michael J., Kennedy, Thomas J. III, Binette, Mark L., Keller, Viktor, Risen, William M. Jr., Nesbitt, R. Dennis, Tzivanis, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorden, Raeann
• Application Number:
  US11/152,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20050261086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 473/376, 473/373, 473/374, 473/368
• US Class Current: 473/376
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/003 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0061 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0067 Weight; Mass
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0087 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/02 Special cores balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball cores A63B37/005
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/12 Special coverings , i.e. outer layer material balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball covers A63B37/0023
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/765 alpha, alpha, alpha', alpha', -tetraalkylxylylene diisocyanate or homologues substituted on the aromatic ring
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2120/00 Compositions for reaction injection moulding processes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/02 containing two or more polymers of the same C08L -group
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/08 Copolymers of ethene C08L23/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0876 Neutralised polymers, i.e. ionomers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/04 : Macromolecular compounds according to groups C08L7/00 - C08L49/00, or C08L55/00 - C08L57/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/18 : Polyesters or polycarbonates according to C08L67/00 - C08L69/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/00 : Compositions of block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 69/00 : Compositions of polycarbonates; Compositions of derivatives of polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 : Polyurethanes

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a golf ball comprising a dual core component, an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer. The dual core comprises an interior spherical center component formed from a thermoset material, a thermoplastic material, or combinations thereof. The dual core also comprises a core layer disposed about the center component, formed from a thermoset material, a thermoplastic material, or combinations thereof. The one or more polyurethane layers are preferably formed via a reaction injection molding (RIM) technique. The inner cover layer is relatively soft and preferably comprises an ionomer or ionomer blend. The outer cover layer is relatively hard and comprises a hard polyurethane. The resulting multi-layered golf ball of the present invention provides for enhanced distance without sacrificing playability or durability when compared to known multi-layer golf balls.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a core center component, the center component comprising a thermoplastic material;

a core layer disposed about said core center component;

an inner cover layer disposed on said core layer, said inner cover layer having a Shore D hardness of less than 45; and

an outer cover layer disposed on said inner cover layer, said outer cover layer comprising a reaction injection molded polyurethane material, said outer cover layer having a Shore D hardness of at least 50.

2. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said inner cover layer has a thickness of from 0.0075 to 0.0225 inch.

3. The golf ball of claim 2 wherein said inner cover layer has a thickness of from about 0.0125 to 0.0175 inch.

4. The golf ball of claim 3 wherein said inner cover layer has a thickness of from 0.015 to 0.0175 inch.

5. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said outer cover layer has a thickness of from about 0.0075 to 0.0225 inch.

6. The golf ball of claim 5 wherein said outer cover layer has a thickness of from about 0.0125 inches to about 0.0175 inch.

7. The golf ball of claim 6 wherein said outer cover layer has a thickness of from about 0.015 inch to about 0.0175 inch.

8. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said golf ball has a PGA compression of less than 115.

9. The golf ball of claim 8 wherein said golf ball has a PGA compression of less than 100.

10. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said total thickness of said outer cover layer and said inner cover layer ranges from about 0.015 inch to about 0.045 inch.

11. The golf ball of claim 10 wherein said total thickness of said inner cover layer and said outer cover layer ranges from about 0.025 inch to about 0.035 inch.

12. The golf ball of claim 11 wherein the total thickness of said inner cover layer and said outer cover layer ranges from about 0.030 inch to about 0.035 inch.